Chalk anxious to suit up for the Green and White
By Andrew Petyak
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Sports Extra
"I decided to grow up," Claude said. "I had a 3.4 (GPA) at Bucks County when I took the time and applied myself."
Chalk found his way onto the Bucks County basketball team, which borders Philadelphia County, where he found immediate success.
With a 24 points per game average, Chalk saw scouts attending his games, interested in what the 6-2 guard had to offer.
Slippery Rock liked what they saw in Chalk and offered him a spot on the team.
That's when the trouble would begin. There were questions on his eligibility to play.
The time he spent playing in his intramural league at the Job Corps and his time spent at Bucks County led to a ruling that Claude would be ineligible to play for the team for nearly two years.
He would spend his time at court hearings for rulings on his eligibility, and when he wasn't doing that, he would try what he could to contact people to resolve the issue.
"I would email the athletic director all the time," Claude said. "It was really frustrating when I wouldn't hear back on things for days and weeks at a time."
What was even more frustrating was that Claude couldn't participate in team activities.
"I couldn't practice with the team," he said. "The practice I did get in was at the ARC."
Thoughts of joining a new league under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in North Carolina went through his head.
"I thought about it, so I could play," Claude said. "But I wanted to be here."
Faith in God and a personal tragedy would be his driving force to endure any obstacles that got in his way.
In 2007, Claude's younger brother, Donte, was murdered in Philadelphia.
Claude succeeds to honor his brother.
Claude had already begun to make an impact on his teammates when he arrived at SRU.
A man who cared so much about them to attend their games, even when he couldn't play?
"I have a passion for basketball," Claude said. "I am the ultimate team player."
As Claude waits for his chance, he will continue to cheer on the sidelines, with a realization that he'll be on the court soon enough. The 25-year-old junior, the man the other players on the team call "Gramps", will continue to inspire and motivate his team with his desire, passion and resolve that can only be found in a man that has been through so much in such a short time.
Chalk found his way onto the Bucks County basketball team, which borders Philadelphia County, where he found immediate success.
With a 24 points per game average, Chalk saw scouts attending his games, interested in what the 6-2 guard had to offer.
Slippery Rock liked what they saw in Chalk and offered him a spot on the team.
That's when the trouble would begin. There were questions on his eligibility to play.
The time he spent playing in his intramural league at the Job Corps and his time spent at Bucks County led to a ruling that Claude would be ineligible to play for the team for nearly two years.
He would spend his time at court hearings for rulings on his eligibility, and when he wasn't doing that, he would try what he could to contact people to resolve the issue.
"I would email the athletic director all the time," Claude said. "It was really frustrating when I wouldn't hear back on things for days and weeks at a time."
What was even more frustrating was that Claude couldn't participate in team activities.
"I couldn't practice with the team," he said. "The practice I did get in was at the ARC."
Thoughts of joining a new league under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in North Carolina went through his head.
"I thought about it, so I could play," Claude said. "But I wanted to be here."
Faith in God and a personal tragedy would be his driving force to endure any obstacles that got in his way.
In 2007, Claude's younger brother, Donte, was murdered in Philadelphia.
Claude succeeds to honor his brother.
Claude had already begun to make an impact on his teammates when he arrived at SRU.
A man who cared so much about them to attend their games, even when he couldn't play?
"I have a passion for basketball," Claude said. "I am the ultimate team player."
As Claude waits for his chance, he will continue to cheer on the sidelines, with a realization that he'll be on the court soon enough. The 25-year-old junior, the man the other players on the team call "Gramps", will continue to inspire and motivate his team with his desire, passion and resolve that can only be found in a man that has been through so much in such a short time.
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